bagg-s



(N o Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

4 J. BAG-GS.

`INVALID BEDSTEAD.

Patented DB0. 5, 1882.

ATTOREYS.

N. PETERS, Phon-UIMM Wlddngtm. D4 C.

(No Model.) 2 YSltlee'ts--heetv 2.

J. BAGGS.

INVALID BEDSTEAD. No. 268,600. Y)Patented Deo. 5, R882.

i WITNESSBS: INVBNTOR:

JWM i i@ ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

justable head and foot rest.

Y shown.

A JOHN BAGGS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES SHIOPLEY, OF SAME PLAGE.

INVALI D-Bi-:osTE/xo.

SPECIFICATION forming .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BAGGS, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Invalid-Bedsteads, of which the following is a specification.

M yinvention relates to improvements in that class of attachments to beds whereby they are especially adapted' to the wants and conven-l ience of in valids, whereby the occupant ofthe bed may be raised easily by an attendant to and supported in a sitting or reclining posture, whereby the same may be readily attached to or detached from common bedsteads, whereby the lower extremities of the occupant may be supported in a raised position for the convenicnceof the attendant or surgeon, or

for relief to the occupant by change of position.

To this end my invention consists inthe construction and combination, with abedstead, of raising and supporting devices, hereinafter full y described and set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, on two sheets, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal section, part in elevation, ofa bed showing my attachments in a raised position. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same parts close packed in a horizontal position. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the ad- Fig. 4 shows the head-section hinge-bolt. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the head portion of the bedstead, and Fig.l 6 is a section of the gear-segment. and brace.

Arepresents the common Slat-bottomed bedstead, divested of a portion of its slats atthe head and foot to give place to my devices B is a board or frame, about two feet wide, extending across the bed between the side'rails, provided with a metallic strip, b, at each side, having a hole in its lower end, through which a bolt, c, like a common door-bolt, may be thrust into a hole in the side rail, to serve as pivots for said board to swing vertically upon. Each of thesel strips bis provided with another hole, about midway, to which a segment of gear-teeth, C, is pivoted at one end to swing part of Letters Patent No. 268,600, dated December 5, 1882. Application filed October'` 9, 1882. `(No model.)

to and from the board B, the free end of the segment being held to the back of the headsection only when the same is down. VPins 7s in the side lrails, projecting inward beneath the free ends, serve to keep them so.

d is a radial brace, hinged to fold against stead.

e shows one of two pinion-wheels, secured upon shaft D just inside the side rails to mesh with segments C when the same are extended and supported by braces d. ShaftD is squared at one or both ends to receive acrank-wrench, F, by means of which the segments C are both operated at once to raise the back board B, the leverage being sufiicient to enable a child turning at the crank to raise a grown person upon the bed toa sitting posture without extreme effort.

f is a rod extending across the bedstead parallel to shaft D and journaled in bearings in the same boxes E, one end being bent to serve as a handle, and as an indicator to show which way the pawls g are set. These pawls are loosely secured upon the rod, so as to have a little oscillating motion independent thereof, so that they may each engage its own segment-teeth C, to hold the same at what-l ever height it may be raised, yet they are close enough fitted to the rod to be turned thereby when the same is tipped any considerable distance either way, the rod being square or having some irregularity to engage the pawls. This is for the purpose of throwing the pawls into engagement with the segmerits or over backward out of engagement, and the bent handle on the rod is in the same radial plane with the pawls,to show at a glance whether they are in service or idle. l

The adjustable head-section B has a headrest, G, secured to its upper edge by a cloth hinge, which allows the same to fold back beneath the head-section.

His a button fastened to the head-section by ascrew, upon which it turns to bring its long end up behind the head-rest G, to hold the same in a plane with the head-section, as shown in Fig. 1, o r to bring it parallel with the hinge-joint, so that the head-rest may be folded back, as in Fig. 2, or to bring the opposite end of the button H, with the adjusting-screw h, beneath the head-rest to support the same at any angle required, for the comfort ofthe invalid,the screw being turned up or down, as the case may require.

The foot-board I is hinged to a slat fixed in the bedstead to swing upward by hand and to be held at any desired angle by means of braces t', hinged to said board at their upper` ends, and engaging notches at their lower ends, in the inner rib ofthe side rails. This foot-board is provided with a rest, J, similar to the head-rest G, and an adjustable button, H, and screw h, as described, whereby the rest J 'may be set level when board I is at any de-` sired height, or the rest may be set at any required angl'e to suit the occupant.

The mattress is formed in three parts, hinged together by the cloth of the top extending across the joint for the purpose of allowing it to conform tothe rise of the head or foot sections. The head-section may be readily secured to any bedstead by boring holes in the inner faces of the rails for bolts c and screw-v ing box-bearings E to the under sides of the rails, as shown. The foot-section is also adaptable to any bedstead by merely fastening its slat in a pair of the usual slats-notches and cutting notches in the side ribs for the feet of braces i.

To u-se my adjustable bed to advantage I have found it necessary to adapt the bed proper or mattress to the rest of the .device by forming the same like three separate mattresses, joined at the hinge-lines of the adjustable sectionsby formingthe top of the three parts of one continuous piece of cloth, crossing over the joints and forming the ends of the mattresses at the joints by folding the cloth for two adjoining ends back on itself andsecuring its fold to the top cloth, forming a hinge to the mattress.

Y Having fully described my invention, what l I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-' 1. The combination, with a slat-bedstead divest-ed of some of its slats and provided with holes in its side rails, of a board or headsection litted to occupy the place of the absent slats and provided with sliding bolts to enter and turn as pivots in said holes in the rails, and means for raising and holding said board ajtciiny required angle, substantially as speci- 2. The combination, with a board or headsection hinged to the rails of a bedstead to swing vertically, of two segments of gear-teeth hinged at one end of each. segment to opposite edges of said head-section, to fold against the back of said section or to stand out therefrom in arcs of circles whose centers are the pivots upon which said head-section swings, and means for holding the free end of the segment to the circle stated, and means for operating the segment to raise and hold the headsection, all substantiallyvas specified.

3. The combination, with the verticallyswinging head-section of a bed described, and the gear-segments hinged thereto, of braces hinged to stand radially with and support theA free ends of said segments or to be folded back under the same, as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the verticallyswinging head-section of a bed, and toothed segments secured thereto, of a rod journaled to oscillate in the side rails, carryingtwo pawls, loosely connected with the rod that they may independently engage and support said toothed segments, and yet be thrown into or out of engagement therewith by turning the rod, as specified.

5. The combination, with a vertically-adjustable head-section of a bed, of an extensionboard secured to its upper edge by a cloth hinge, and a button for securing the same in an extended position, substantially as speci-y fied. f

6. The combination, with the vertically-adjustable head-section of a bed, provided with the hinged extension described, of an L-sh'aped button pivoted to the head-section to turn across the hinged joint to hold the extension out, said button being provided with a radial adjusting-screw through its L, whereby the hinged extension may be supported in a hori- 'zontal position or at any desired angle, as and for the purpose specified.

7. A foot-supporter for bedsteads, consisting of a board or frame hinged to a slat secured in a pair of the notches arranged for the bed-slats in the bedstead to swing vertically thereon, and side braces hinged to said board or frame, arranged to engage their feet in notches in the bedstead to hold said foot-supporter at any desired angle, as shown and described.

8. The combination, with an adjustable head IOO IOS

IIO

or foot frame, of a mattress divided into sections by joints at the swinging line of the adjustable frame, said joints consisting of the top cloth extending across the joint and the cloth of the two adjoining ends of the mattress folded back on itself in the joint and sewed to f the top cloth at the fold, whereby a hinge is formed in the mattress to enable* the same to conform to the bend of the bed-bottom when its head-section is raised, as shown and described.

JOHN 'BAGGS Witnesses:

J osEPH C. BOYD, CHAs. H. 000K. 

